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viaduct

 - 4 dictionary results

vi⋅a⋅duct

  [vahy-uh-duhkt]
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–noun
a bridge for carrying a road, railroad, etc., over a valley or the like, consisting of a number of short spans.
Origin:
1810–20; < L via way + (aque)duct
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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vi·a·duct   (vī'ə-dŭkt')   
n.  A series of spans or arches used to carry a road or railroad over a wide valley or over other roads or railroads.

[Latin via, road; see via + (aque)duct.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

viaduct 
1816, from L. via "road" + -duct as in aqueduct. Fr. viaduc is an Eng. loan-word.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Encyclopedia

viaduct

type of long bridge or series of bridges, usually supported by a series of arches or on spans between tall towers. The purpose of a viaduct is to carry a road or railway over water, a valley, or another road. The viaduct is both functionally and etymologically related to the aqueduct, which carries water; both were developed by Roman engineers.

Learn more about viaduct with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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